With the playoffs on the horizon, free agency will be in the back of the minds of general managers around the NHL. The league's non-playoff teams will start planning player contracts or trade plans for next season, while the playoff GMs will be considering the increased prices that could come along with a strong postseason.
With that said, we take a look at each team in the Western Conference's most interesting upcoming free-agent situation:
Note: Click here a look at every Eastern team's toughest call
Anaheim Ducks
D Brandon Montour (RFA)
When the Ducks traded Sami Vatanen to the New Jersey Devils for forward Adam Henrique, they put their hopes in Montour, who had played only 27 games in 2016-17. The 23-year-old defenseman has made the risk worthwhile. He has 30 points in 75 games to go along with a plus-1.9 percent Corsi percentage relative to his teammates, and over 20 minutes in ice time per game. With seven players set to come off the books, the Ducks' top offseason priority should be to wrap up Montour and solidify their excellent blue line for years to come.
